The ancient civilisations which inhabited the lands around San Agustin are shrouded in mystery. Very little is known about these people apart from what can be depicted from the many statues which have been found in the area. After being overwhelmed with archaeological sites in Mexico we had enough of a break for our enthusiasm to be regained.
Another motivating factor was the surrounding countryside, with green rolling hills filled with sugar cane and coffee plantations it’s not a bad place to spend a few days. We decide that an interesting way to take in the views and visit a few of the sites would be to hire a horse. Karl had never been on a horse before and I had only done it a handful of times when I was much younger and much less afraid of spinal injuries.
Our guide arrived in the morning with our two stallions, we mounted, and then were let loose. Neither of us had much control over the animals. Karl’s horse had some apprehensions, being afraid of dogs, cows and cars and preferring to walk backwards than forwards. Mine had no fear which was good when the pack of savage dogs tried to attack us but not so good when he decided he wanted to trot ahead away from everyone.
We got to visit three of the sites on our horse ride, Pelota and El Purutal still had colour intact from over two centuries ago.
We also got to see the impressive La Chaquira which is carved into the mountain overlooking the stunning Rio Magdalena.
After our mornings ride we spent the afternoon loosening off our legs at the archaeological park. The well maintained grounds contain a large majority of the statues found in the area. Walking around these strange anthropomorphic carvings allowed our imagination to wonder.
When reading about this ancient civilisation I was pleased to find out that archaeologists believe they treated men and women equally as there are a number of statues depicting women rulers. However, they also performed human sacrifices. So maybe they weren’t prefect.
Our second day was spent on a jeep tour which took us to the more difficult to reach areas. We got to see more statues as well as some beautiful waterfalls.
And we took an interesting detour to a sugar factory.
Huge 2kg block of sugar cane are sold all over Columbia. These industrial size blocks could be bought for £1 each.
The jeep was a fun way to get around the area although by the end of the day we were all covered in a thick layer of dust.
We had a fantastic time in San Agustin and we have to give a shout out to our wonderful host Ceasr at Hostel Hooaka –ya who welcomed us like we were family. His passion for Columbia and his hospitality knew no bounds. Plus, he made the best cup of freshly roasted coffee we have tasted so far.
